Polybenzoxazine-Functionalized Melamine Sponges with Enhanced Selective Capillarity for Efficient Oil Spill Cleanup

Facilitate the preparation of naturally modified and self-healing superhydrophobic/superoleophilic biochar-based foams for efficient oil-water separation

Oil spills are sudden, complex, and long-term hazardous, and the existing adsorption materials still have the disadvantages of small selective adsorption capacity, easy secondary contamination, and difficult to repair after breakage in practical applications. Herein, melamine foam (MF) coated by ball milled biochar (BMBC) and natural beeswax (Wax@BMBC@MF) was prepared by a bio-inspired functionalization method and further added with self-healing function (SH-Wax@BMBC@MF) to cope with complex environments, and applied to oil-water separation for oil adsorption. SEM and FTIR results showed that BMBC and natural beeswax nanoparticles successfully encapsulated the smooth surface of the melamine foam skeleton. The loading of natural beeswax increased the foam's ability to absorb oil and organic solvents from 0.6108-1.134 g to 0.850-1.391 g, and the oil-absorbing capacity of the foam remained at 0. 758-1.263 g after being cut by a knife and self-healing. The oil-absorbing capacity of SH-Wax@BMBC@MF remained in the range of 0.936-1.336 g under acid/alkali environment (pH =1-13). The surface functional groups of BMBC improved the surface roughness of the material and strengthen the MF skeleton to adsorb oils and organic solvents by capillary action. The generation of the di-coordinated structure by Fe3+ and catechol group contributed the restoration of SH-Wax@BMBC@MF structure and oil absorption capacity. SH-Wax@BMBC@MF has superiority of superhydrophobic, superoleophilic, self-healing after damage, and environmental friendliness, which provides a promising solution for the treatment of oil spills at sea.

An Eco-Friendly Manner to Prepare Superwetting Melamine Sponges with Switchable Wettability for the Separation of Oil/Water Mixtures and Emulsions

Oil/water separation processes have garnered significant global attention due to the quick growth in industrial development, recurring chemical leakages, and oil spills. Hence, there is a significant demand for the development of inexpensive superwetting materials in an eco-friendly manner to separate oil/water mixtures and emulsions. In this study, a superwetting melamine sponge (SMS) with switchable wettabilities was prepared by modifying melamine sponge (MS) with sodium dodecanoate. The as-prepared SMS exhibited superhydrophobicity, superoleophilicity, underwater superoleophobicity, and underoil superhydrophobicity. The SMS can be utilized in treating both light and heavy oil/water mixtures through the prewetting process. It demonstrated fast permeation fluxes (reaching 108,600 L m-2 h-1 for a light oil/water mixture and 147,700 L m-2 h-1 for a heavy oil/water mixture) and exhibited good separation efficiency (exceeding 99.56%). The compressed SMS was employed in separating surfactant-stabilized water-in-oil emulsions (SWOEs), as well as surfactant-stabilized oil-in-water emulsions (SOWEs), giving high permeation fluxes (reaching 7210 and 5054 L m-2 h-1, respectively). The oil purity for SWOEs' filtrates surpassed 99.98 wt% and the separation efficiencies of SOWEs exceeded 98.84%. Owing to their remarkable capability for separating oil/water mixtures and emulsions, eco-friendly fabrication method, and feasibility for large-scale production, our SMS has a promising potential for practical applications.

A green and facile one-step hydration method based on ZIF-8-PDA to prepare melamine composite sponges with excellent hydrophobicity for oil-water separation

Frequent crude oil spills and illegal discharges of industrial organic pollutants cause serious damage to the ecological environment and considerable loss of valuable resources. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop efficient strategies to separate and recover oils or reagents from sewage. Herein, a green, facile and rapid one-step hydration method was applied to obtain the composite sponge (ZIF-8-PDA@MS) that monodispersed zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 nanoparticles with high porosity and large specific surface area were firmly loaded onto the melamine sponge by ligand exchange and the self-assembly of dopamine. The water contact angle of ZIF-8-PDA@MS with multiscale hierarchical porous structure could reach 162°, which remained stable over a long period of time and a wide pH range. ZIF-8-PDA@MS displayed excellent adsorption capacities (up to 85.45-168.95 g⋅g^-1), and could be reused at least 40 times. Besides, ZIF-8-PDA@MS exhibited remarkable photothermal effect. Simultaneously, Silver nanoparticle-immobilized composite sponges were also prepared via in-situ reduction of silver ions to inhibit bacterial contamination. The composite sponge developed in this work can be used not only for the treatment of industrial sewage, but also for the emergency response of large-scale marine oil spill accidents, which has inestimable practical value for water decontamination.

Magnetic, self-heating and superhydrophobic sponge for solar-driven high-viscosity oil-water separation

In this work, a novel oil-adsorption sponge with superhydrophobicity was fabricated using polymer-assisted electroless deposition and dip-coating techniques for depositing a rough polydopamine layer, magnetic particles, and low surface energy polydimethylsiloxane onto the surface of a sponge skeleton. The as-prepared superhydrophobic sponge (WCA > 150° and SA < 5°) exhibited rapid adsorption behavior, large adsorption capacity (up to 50.6 times its own dry weight or above 90% of its own volume), excellent durability (above 80% of the adsorption capacity after 80 recycles), and a self-cleaning property owing to sufficient open-cell pores and superelasticity provided by the melamine-formaldehyde host as well as the hierarchical roughness and convenient magnetic recovery enabled by the polymer-assisted electroless deposition approach. The pump-, gravity-, and solar-driven oil-water separation devices based on the fabricated cubic composites were also demonstrated, particularly the separation of high-viscosity oil-water mixtures via the solar-driven mode, demonstrating the broad prospects of such modified sponges in actual applications. This study provides a new avenue for rationally designing novel oil adsorption and separation materials.

Photothermal and Concus Finn capillary assisted superhydrophobic fibrous network enabling instant viscous oil transport for crude oil cleanup

Rapid and effective removal of highly viscous oil spills from the sea remains a great challenge globally. Superhydrophobic materials are attractive candidates for handling oil spills, but they are restrained to recover oils with low viscosity exclusively. Herein, we report a novel polypyrrole wrapped superhydrophobic fibrous network using cross-shaped polyester fibers as starting blocks. The polypyrrole coating enables the absorbent to convert light to heat, ensuring that the viscosity of heavy oils in the proximity can be easily controlled. In the meanwhile, the special structure of the starting fibers initiates Concus Finn (CFin) capillary allowing instant oil transport in the network. When the absorbent is exposed to light oils (0-500 mPa.s), the oils can be transported instantly via CFin capillary. Interestingly, under synergistic effect of light-to-heat conversion and CFin capillary, a drawing-sticking crude oil strip (10⁵ mPa.s) is sucked instantly against gravity by the absorbent. The absorbent is successfully applied to efficiently separate both oil/water mixtures and oil/water emulsions (efficiency > 99%). Such absorbent can absorb 62.99-74.23 g/g light oils on average and up to 123.3 g/g crude oil under 0-2 sun illumination, holding a huge potential in managing oil spills.

Novel Magnetically Driven Superhydrophobic Sponges Coated with Asphaltene/Kaolin Nanoparticles for Effective Oil Spill Cleanup

Fast and effective cleanup of oil spills remains a global challenge. A modified commercial sponge with superhydrophobicity, strong absorption capacity, outstanding magnetic response, and fire resistance were fabricated by a facile and inexpensive route of dip-coated melamine sponge carbonization. The low-cost petroleum asphaltene and kaolin nanoparticles were used as the dip-coating reagent. High absorption capacity of the fabricated sponges allowed rapid and continuous removal of oil contaminants. Taking advantage of the good refractory property, the sponges can be used in burning conditions and directly reused after burning out of the absorbed oil. Reusability tests showed that the modified sponges still maintained high absorption capacity (>85%) after six regeneration and reuse cycles. These characteristics make the fabricated sponge a promising aid to promote effective in situ burning cleanup of oil spills, contributing as a magnetic oil collector and a fire-resistant flexible boom. An example usage scenario of the sponges applied to in situ burning cleanup of oil spills is described.

Solar-Assisted Superhydrophobic MoS2/PDMS/MS Sponge for the Efficient Cleanup of Viscous Oil

Industrialization releases many high-viscosity oil pollutants into the environment, requiring a hydrophobic recyclable oil-absorbing material. Therefore, a self-heating and superhydrophobic melamine sponge (MS) by connecting polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) was coated with functionalized molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂) nanosheets on a three-dimensional microstructure of a commercial MS (MoS₂/PDMS/MS) via a simple and low-cost dip-coating method. The prepared sponge showed a water contact angle of 151.8°, indicating that the modified sponge exhibited superhydrophobicity. Due to the addition of MoS₂, the modified sponge can convert light into heat, and its surface could be heated to 59.7 °C within 30 s. Because of the excellent MoS₂/PDMS/MS photothermal performance, the sponge could decrease the viscosity of the high-viscosity oil, absorbing the high-viscosity oil efficiently. After simultaneous thermal analysis and repeated compression tests, the modified sponge exhibited high thermochemical stability, mechanical property, and reusability. This superhydrophobic multifunctional sponge shows excellent potential for high-viscosity oil absorption.

Fabrication of superhydrophobic Enteromorpha-derived carbon aerogels via NH4H2PO4 modification for multi-behavioral oil/water separation

Hydrophobic and oleophilic biomass-based block materials are considered to be highly promising candidates used for oil/water separation. However, the crucial hydrophobic modification process often involves various toxic and hazardous organic substances or requires high energy inputs. Inspired by the flame retardant principle of phosphorus-containing flame retardants, herein, an Enteromorpha-derived carbon (ADP-EP) aerogel with a water contact angle of 144.2° was prepared by successive freeze-shaping, freeze-drying and low-temperature carbonization treatment (300 °C), using NH₄H₂PO₄ (ADP) as a modifier. The results demonstrated that the introduction of NH₄H₂PO₄ could largely facilitate the removal of oxygenated groups from the pristine EP aerogels and enhance their surface roughness, thereby achieving surface hydrophobic modification. Featuring intrinsic low density, rich porosity and strong lipophilicity, the as-fabricated ADP-EP aerogels exhibited exceptional performance in both oil spill adsorption (~140 g/g) and water-in-oil emulsion separation. Moreover, the good reusability for oil uptake was also realized thanks to its robust mechanical compressibility and thermal stability. This work provides a facile, economical and eco-friendly route to obtain a desirable hydrophobic/oleophilic surface.

Interfacially Locked Metal Aerogel Inside Porous Polymer Composite for Sensitive and Durable Flexible Piezoresistive Sensors

Flexible pressure sensors play significant roles in wearable devices, electronic skins, and human-machine interface (HMI). However, it remains challenging to develop flexible piezoresistive sensors with outstanding comprehensive performances, especially with excellent long-term durability. Herein, a facile "interfacial locking strategy" has been developed to fabricate metal aerogel-based pressure sensors with excellent sensitivity and prominent stability. The strategy broke the bottleneck of the intrinsically poor mechanical properties of metal aerogels by grafting them on highly elastic melamine sponge with the help of a thin polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) layer as the interface-reinforcing media. The hierarchically porous conductive structure of the ensemble offered the as-prepared flexible piezoresistive sensor with a sensitivity as high as 12 kPa^-1 , a response time as fast as 85 ms, and a prominent durability over 23 000 compression cycles. The excellent comprehensive performance enables the successful application of the flexible piezoresistive sensor as two-dimensional (2D) array device as well as three-dimensional (3D) force-detecting device for real-time monitoring of HMI activities.

Facile one-step fabrication of superhydrophobic melamine sponges by poly(phenol-amine) modification method for effective oil-water separation

Although polydopamine (PDA)-related modification is widely studied in the fabrication of superhydrophobic sponges, the high cost of dopamine limits its widespread application. To imitate PDA modification, a low-cost and facile one-step poly(phenol-amine) modification was performed on melamine sponges in this study. Low-cost catechol and diethylenetriamine (DETA) were used as the monomers, and n-dodecanethiol was used as an additive in the one-step modification. The results confirmed that the poly(phenol-amine) aggregations were successfully anchored on the sponge skeleton surface and that the aggregations were formed via the Schiff base reaction and the Michael addition reaction. Furthermore, the as-prepared sponges still showed excellent mechanical properties after modification. Additionally, the optimally modified sponge (MS-0.5) exhibited superhydrophobic properties with a contact angle value above 150° under various environments, high oil-absorption capacity for various oils and organic solvents, high continuous oil-water separation performance with efficiency greater than 98.8% in 30 cycles, outstanding demulsification performance with 99.52% toward oil-in-water emulsion, and excellent recoverability and long-term stability. Thus, this work provides a feasible facile one-step modification method that can be used in place of PDA-related modification.

A durable superhydrophobic porous polymer coated sponge for efficient separation of immiscible oil/water mixtures and oil-in-water emulsions

Oil spills and organic solvents leakages have led to serious environmental problems, which calls for the emerging materials for the separation of oil/organic solvents from water effectively. Herein, a superhydrophobic/superoleophilic, SHMP-1@Sponge, with water contact angle (WCA) of 156° and oil contact angle of 0°, was fabricated by dip coating polymer SHMP-1 powder onto the skeleton of 3D melamine sponge. The SHMP-1@Sponge featured large specific surface area (556 m²/g) as well as high chemical and mechanical durability. SHMP-1@Sponge can absorb up to 40-105 times of its own weight of light and heavy oils/organic solvents in seconds, and it can be recycled for 25 times by squeezing. Moreover, the separation efficiency of immiscible oil/water mixtures and oil-in-water emulsions by SHMP-1@Sponge are > 99.5％. SHMP-1@Sponge shows tremendous absorption capacity for chloroform-in-water emulsions (1460 mg/g) compared with nitrobenzene-in-water (1290 mg/g) and diesel-in-water emulsions (980 mg/g), which is the strongest superhydrophobic absorbent for surfactant-stabilized oil-in-water emulsions reported to date. The durable SHMP-1@Sponge fabricated by loading superhydrophobic polymer with large surface area onto 3D sponge makes it a promising material for oil/water separation in realistic aquatic environments.

Biomass-derived oriented neurovascular network-like superhydrophobic aerogel as robust and recyclable oil droplets captor for versatile oil/water separation

Using tubular kapok fibers (KF) and sodium alginate (SA) as the natural building block, we put forward a novel oriented neurovascular network-like superhydrophobic aerogel with robust dry and wet compression resilience by directional freeze-drying and chemical vapor deposition. In the block, SA forms aligned channel structures providing space for rapid oil transmission, while KF serves as vascular-like capillaries acting as instant "tentacle" to capture the tiny oil droplets in water, facilitating fascinating oil capture efficiency for versatile oil/water separation, The aerogel after dry and wet compression (under a strain of 60%) can recover 96.0% and 97.3% its original, respectively, facilitating stable oil recovery (81.1-89.8%) by squeezing, high separation efficiency (99.04-99.64%) and permeation flux separating oil contaminants from water. A pump-supported experiment shows the aerogel efficiently collecting oil contaminants from the water's surface and bottom by 11503-25611 L·m^-2·h^-1. Particularly, the aerogel as robust oil droplets captor facilely achieves isolation of 99.39-99.68% emulsified oils from oil/water emulsions by novel oil trapping mechanism which simply involves exerting kinetic energy on emulsified oils through repeated oscillation, potentially indicating a simple and efficient alternative to membrane-based oily wastewater remediation via filtration.

Polydimethylsiloxane-decorated magnetic cellulose nanofiber composite for highly efficient oil-water separation

Developing three-dimensional porous hydrophobic and oleophilic materials (3D-PHOMs) for efficient and selective oil-water separation is important to clean up oil spills and organic pollutants. However, 3D-PHOMs are still confined to lab-scale research due to several crucial drawbacks. Herein, a hydrophobic oil-water separation composite, containing cellulose nanofiber (delignificated porous wood, PW) substrate, magnetic nickel (Ni) layer and hydrophobic polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) coating, is prepared using electroless deposition (ELD) and surface modification techniques. Owing to the porosity, hydrophobicity (>130° of water contact angle), lipophilicity, convenient magnetic collection and high cycle compressibility, the as-fabricated PDMS-Ni-PW exhibits excellent oil adsorption capacity (>60% of the volumetric absorption capacity) and outstanding cyclic stability (>80% of the adsorption capacity after 200 cycles). Thanks to the low surface energy and rough surface structure, the adsorbent demonstrates superior oil-retention ability (>80% at 200 rpm). Also, the oil-collecting apparatus is successfully designed to continuously separate various oils, e.g., n-hexane and dichloromethane, from water due to the unidirectional liquid transport of the adsorbent. These excellent properties make PDMS-modified cellulose nanofiber a promising candidate for oil-water separation.

Concus Finn Capillary driven fast viscous oil-spills removal by superhydrophobic cruciate polyester fibers

Developing functional materials integrating multi-tasking oil/water separation performances is significant but challenging for the remediation of large-scale oil spills causing pernicious environmental damages. Herein, a novel Concus Finn Capillary driven oil sorbent (OSCPF) fabricated by aligning superhydrophobic cruciate polyester fibers based on yarn spinning mechanism is designed to realize the clean-up of oil spills and various oil/water mixtures at high speeds. Instantaneous oil diffusion is achieved by abrupt Concus Finn Capillary driven oil-flows along aligned channels. This advance reduces the penetrating time for viscous crude oils by 95.00% comparing with that of non-oriented circular polyester fibers. The OSCPF possess great oil sorption capacity of 54.36-124.71 g/g and can separate oils from immiscible oil/water mixtures, including seawater, soap-water, CuCl₂-water, and KMnO₄-water, and surfactant-stabilized O/W emulsions by the way of adsorption with satisfactory separation efficiency (99.41-99.83%). Especially, the OSCPF is effectively used to enclose oil spills to prevent rapid oil diffusion and in-situ continuously collect the spillages from water surface and underwater by pumping device with recovery rates of 15,727-104,227 L·m^-2·h^-1. Considering the unique structural design, fast oil sorption speed, and low operating cost, this work provides a prospective oil remover addressing the remediation of catastrophic multi-tasking oil/water pollutions.

Nanoceutical Adjuvants as Wound Healing Material: Precepts and Prospects

Dermal wound healing describes the progressive repair and recalcitrant mechanism of 12 damaged skin, and eventually, reformatting and reshaping the skin. Many probiotics, nutritional supplements, metal nanoparticles, composites, skin constructs, polymers, and so forth have been associated with the improved healing process of wounds. The exact mechanism of material-cellular interaction is a point of immense importance, particularly in pathological conditions such as diabetes. Bioengineered alternative agents will likely continue to dominate the outpatient and perioperative management of chronic, recalcitrant wounds as new products continue to cut costs and improve the wound healing process. This review article provides an update on the various remedies with confirmed wound healing activities of metal-based nanoceutical adjuvanted agents and also other nano-based counterparts from previous experiments conducted by various researchers.

Durable super-hydrophobic PDMS@SiO2@WS2 sponge for efficient oil/water separation in complex marine environment

The robust and eco-friendly super-hydrophobic sponge with remarkable performances has been potential adsorption material for the treatment of offshore oil spills. In this work, the durable PDMS@SiO₂@WS₂ sponge was fabricated via a green and facile one-step dipping method. The mixed tungsten disulfide (WS₂) microparticles and hydrophobic SiO₂ nanoparticles were immobilized on the sponge by non-toxic polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) glue tier, which featured the hierarchical structure and extreme water repellency with the water contact angle of 158.8 ± 1.4°. The obtained PDMS@SiO₂@WS₂ sponge exhibits high oil adsorption capacity with 12-112 times of its own weight, and oil/water selectivity with separation efficiency over 99.85%. Notably, when subjected to the complex marine environment including high temperature, corrosive condition, insolation, and strong wind and waves, the modified sponge can maintain sable super-hydrophobicity with water contact angle over 150°. Moreover, it possesses superior mechanical stability for sustainable reusability and oil recovery. The sponge fabricated by non-toxic modifiers along with its sable super-hydrophobicity in complex marine environment makes it a potential material for practical applications.

The designed synthesis of a hydrophobic covalent polymer composite to expel toxic dyes and oil from wastewater: theoretical corroboration

In pursuit of addressing a global issue linked to the purification of contaminated water bodies, hydrophobic covalent organic framework (CPCMERI-2020) and its post-synthetically modified composites CPWCS and MS@CPWCS are reported herein.

A sustainable strategy for the remediation of oil/water separation using polybenzoxazine/stearic acid functionalized porous carbon

Fabrication of superhydrophobic and superoleophilic polybenzoxazine-stearic acid based melamine sponge for industrial oil/water pollution treatments.

N-Activated 1,3-Benzoxazine Monomer as a Key Agent in Polybenzoxazine Synthesis

A novel and successful application of ring-closing reactions of aminophenols has been proposed for the formation of a new type of 1,3-benzoxazine ionic derivatives. The optimization of the reaction and detailed computational studies have been reported for the estimation of heterocyclic ring stability and its further transformation, which is crucial in the polymerization process. The molecular structure of the obtained compounds has been fully characterized by applying X-ray analysis and spectroscopic methods. The novel benzoxazines undergo an intriguing thermal reaction leading to classical benzoxazines and chloroalkanes, which is the first step of transformation before polymerization. To gain more insights into the transformation behavior of ionic benzoxazine derivatives, the Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectra of gaseous products were recorded in experiments with near simultaneous FT-IR/TGA measurements. The combination of thermogravimetry with FT-IR spectroscopy enables the quantitative and qualitative characterization of thermal transformation products and clarification of the reaction mechanism. The experimental data have been verified by applying DFT(B3LYP) and DFT(M062x) theoretical studies.

Robust Bifunctional Compressed Carbon Foam for Highly Effective Oil/Water Emulsion Separation

In this study, we report the pure compressed carbon foam (CCF) that offers a brand-new solution for separating emulsified oil/water mixtures. The CCF was fabricated by low-temperature carbonization of three-dimensional commercial melamine foam, which was then compressed without any further chemical modification. The CCF has amphiphilicity in air, underwater superoleophobicity, and underoil superhydrophobicity; therefore, it has been proved to be successfully utilized in highly emulsified oil-in-water and water-in-oil emulsions with excellent separation efficiencies, and it merely relies on gravity in the absence of external force. The CCF can also maintain its superwetting property under different harsh conditions, including strong acid, alkali, and salt solution conditions; this property offers great opportunities for widespread applications. Importantly, the CCF exhibits excellent permeability, separation efficiency, antifouling, and reusability performance. This novel CCF material has great potential application in handling oily wastewater owing to its low-cost raw materials, easily scaled-up preparation process, excellent antifouling property, and high separation capacity of materials.

Biomimetic and Superelastic Silica Nanofibrous Aerogels with Rechargeable Bactericidal Function for Antifouling Water Disinfection

Disinfecting drinking water in a reliable, sustainable, and affordable manner is a great challenge, especially for water contaminated with pathogenic microbes, and traditional water disinfection strategies still suffer from biofouling, irreversible depletion of disinfectants, and energy consumption. In this study, we developed biomimetic and superelastic skeletal-structured silica nanofibrous aerogels (SNAs) with rechargeable bactericidal and antifouling property via the combination of electrospun silica nanofibers and a functional Si-O-Si bonding network. The premise for our design is that the Si-O-Si network comprising rechargeable N-halamine moieties can provide the aerogels with structural stability yet durable bactericidal activity. The resulting aerogels exhibit intriguing properties of high porosity, superhydrophilicity, superelasticity, rechargeable chlorination capability (>4800 ppm), and exceptional bactericidal activity (99.9999%), enabling the aerogels to effectively disinfect the bacteria-contaminated water with ultrahigh flux (57 600 L m^-2 h^-1) and antifouling function. The synthesis of the SNAs opens pathways for exploring antibacterial and antifouling materials in a renewable and nanofibrous form.

Smart Amphiphilic Random Copolymer-Coated Sponge with pH-Switchable Wettability for On-Demand Oil/Water Separation

To prepare intelligent controllable oil/water separation materials with high mechanical stability and good recyclability, we fabricated a novel pH-controlled wettability melamine sponge by using a facile dip-coating method. The coated sponge exhibits reversibly switchable wettability between superhydrophilicity-superoleophobicity through acidic surrounding and superhydrophobicity-superoleophilicity under neutral or alkaline conditions. The as-prepared sponge possesses excellent absorption capacity (46.06-122.81 g/g) and oil/water separation efficiency (above 98%). The coated sponge also has good mechanical stability and recyclability which means it can be reused for absorption and oil/water separation. This smart porous material, which can flexibly transform wettability on demand, has great application prospects in oil/water separation.

Facile and Scalable Fabrication of Porous Polystyrene Fibers for Oil Removal by Centrifugal Spinning

The demand for an efficient oil sorbent with high sorption capacity, low cost, scalable fabrication, and high selectivity for the cleanup of spreading oil on water is increasingly urgent due to the frequent occurrence of oil spill accidents in seawater all over the world. In this study, porous polystyrene (PS) fibers with high hydrophobicity and superoleophilicity were directly fabricated by a centrifugal spinning method (CS). The effect of solvents, tetrahydrofuran (THF), and dimethylformamide (DMF) on the morphology and porous structure of the polystyrene fibers was evaluated by using scanning electron microscopy and nitrogen adsorption-desorption experiments. The formation mechanism for the porous structure on the fibers was also evaluated. The oil sorption capacities of the PS fibers for silicon oil, pump oil, and vegetable oil were investigated. The highest oil sorption capacity was found in PS fibers fabricated from PS solution with a THF/DMF weight ratio of 1/3, which exhibited the highest specific surface area, pore volume, and porosity. The high productivity and highly porous structure of PS fibers indicate that CS is a promising method to fabricate porous fibers for the cleanup of oil spills.